Art Buds

Art Buds encourages interaction for youngsters and adults alike, as well as an early appreciation of the natural world by making use of our outdoor spaces and using natural and sustainable materials where we can.

Led by professional Artists Associates from Milton Keynes Arts Centre, the activities will informally help children develop skills in line with the Expressive Arts and Design, objectives of the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework, opportunity to develop imagination, self-expression and communication through the arts.

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Autumn Colours
Monday 27 November, 10am – 11.15am

· Crazy conker painting – dip conkers in autumnal coloured paint and roll them over sheets of paper in a large tray by tipping it from one side to another.
· Nature stamping – Roll out balls of playdough, coloured with cinnamon, paprika and turmeric (to evoke Autumn colours) and press natural objects like leaves, seeds and pinecones into it to create interesting marks.
· Leaf bunting and leaf totems – collect autumn leaves of different colours and shapes and peg them onto a washing line in the garden to make beautiful autumn ‘leaf bunting’.
· Leaf totems – Skewer leaves onto sticks to create ‘leaf totems’ and stick them upright into balls of air drying clay to create a ‘totem forest’.


Hedgehogs and Hibernation
Monday 04 December, 10am – 11.15am

· Model hedgehogs – stick twigs, seeds and other natural materials into balls of clay or salt dough to make hedgehogs.
· Hedgehog homes – create cosy hibernation nests for the clay hedgehogs by filling cardboard boxes with leaves and dried grass.
· Spiky mark making – dip pinecones, conifer twigs, sticks and even washing up brushes into paint to explore making spiky marks on paper or cardboard.
· Giant hedgehog – children collaborate to paint spiky marks onto a giant cardboard

Weather: Wind, Rain and Mud
Monday 11 December, 10am – 11.15am

· Mud painting – children mix soil and water together to make mud paint and use large brushes to paint onto the wooden fence (in lieu of tree trunks!) Liquid terracotta and stoneware clay can also be used to provide different colours.
· Making tracks – children drive toy vehicles through puddles of muddy coloured paint on large pieces of cardboard to make interesting marks.
· Raindrop watercolours – use washable felt tips to make marks on absorbent paper, then dip small branches into a bucket of water and shake them over the paper to ‘make it rain’ and watch the colours move and blend. If it is a rainy day the drawing can be left out in the rain for a few minutes.
· Windy puddle pictures – children use straws to blow a puddle of paint in different directions across a piece of paper or tin foil.